The present invention relates to a decorative component that is mounted to a vehicle and has an outer surface exposed to the outside of the vehicle. The present invention also relates to a decorative component unit that transmits light from the vehicle outside toward an in-vehicle camera, which is arranged against the outer surface of the decorative component in the vehicle.
An in-vehicle camera is mounted to, for example, a vehicle rear part to help a driver check the surrounding of the vehicle. An image taken by the in-vehicle camera is displayed on a monitor arranged in the vehicle. This allows the driver who sees the monitor to check the area behind the vehicle.
The in-vehicle camera for checking the area behind the vehicle is preferably arranged at a predetermined height in the center of the rear part of the vehicle to obtain a necessary range of vision. For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-193070 discloses an in-vehicle camera arranged on a garnish, which is a decorative component mounted on the back door.
In the document, the in-vehicle camera is mounted to the interior of the vehicle while facing the outer surface of the decorative component. A portion of the decorative component that faces the in-vehicle camera or the entirety of the decorative component is formed by a one-way mirror. This prevents rain drops or dust from collecting on the lens of the in-vehicle camera.
According to the configuration in which a portion of a decorative component that faces an in-vehicle camera is formed by a one-way mirror, the vehicle outside, which is the brighter side, can be seen through from the vehicle inside, which is the darker side. Thus, the image of an area outside the vehicle can be taken by the in-vehicle camera. In contrast, the vehicle inside, which is the darker side, cannot be seen through from the vehicle outside, which is the brighter side. Thus, the portion of the decorative component that faces the in-vehicle camera appears like a mirror when viewed from the vehicle outside. In other words, the portion of the decorative component that faces the in-vehicle camera becomes a design surface with a shiny appearance. In a decorative component having such a one-way mirror, it is difficult to obtain a necessary amount of light with which an image is taken by the in-vehicle camera. Therefore, a decorative component and a decorative component unit, which includes a camera mounting portion used for mounting an in-vehicle camera, are demanded that reduce the visibility of the in-vehicle camera from the vehicle outside and increase the amount of light that comes from the vehicle outside to the in-vehicle camera.